Rookie starting out as Owner Operator. Good Idea???

only advice I can give you is buy the truck outside the company you wanna drive for, as the plans are designed to screw you

 

in before three pages of don't do it.

 

Just what ive heard of the swift plan, you buy through swift, the finance that you have to use is owned by the owners wife, and you pay alot more. Im not an owner op through a starter company, but its all anyone says is dont do it, the guy who I spoke to yesterday who bought his truck outside of swift, paid $41,000 for his truck, 09 cascadia, but he is also a cert truck mechanic so it works for him. If your a certified truck mech, and think you can handle it, go for it, but seriously wouldnt go through a companies program for you to own your own truck, buy it outside

 

Dcarter, do yourself a huge favor. Go find a thread on this forum, more than a couple months old that sheds a favorable light on a company lease. While youre digging, make a note how many threads you find that have an unhappy ending.

 

Come here, closer, closer, closer......

ARE YOU NUTS???!!!

 

Lease to own. Pay a monthly payment that is higher then a lease payment, With the option to buy the truck out for $100 at the end. Basicaly they own that truck until you pay that final $100. You are responsable for all repairs. You dont perform as good as they want or dont do exactly what they want, They dont give you good loads, you miss your lease payment truck is repoed.

Now that does not always happen. There are many drivers who go threw the companies lease to own program succesfully. Your best bet is to talk to other lease to own drivers at the company you want to drive for. They are the only ones who can tell you how the company treats them.

 

To be a successful O/O takes a lot of knowledge and dedication to maintain all the finer points of legalities, both financial and regulatory. There are a lot of "book keeping" demands, records that need to be spot on and ready for inspection and scrutiny by the Feds.

The "ins and outs" of this industry is a complicated maze to work through. You would be better off, starting your journey as a company driver to find out if it is really a good fit for you.

Here is one thread, and there are others you should read:

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...-operator/13608-so-you-want-own-your-own.html